Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Wellcrafty

Cadet
Joined
Jul 20, 2009
Messages
6
A question for you guys that have done this a lot longer than me... I am storing my wellcraft 170 on it's trailer in a heated storage facility this winter. I am aware of all the winterizing issues for my I/O and will get those done, but I am wondering about whether or not I leave the trailer on the cement floor for the 7 months of storage. I wouldn't doubt the tires would go soft, but are there any other issues to consider? Should I jack the trailer up, put it on stands to relive the pressure off the tires? This is a nice, clean facility, but are there ways to keep mice out of my boat, etc? I am just trying to keep from having too many issues while the thing sits so long.
Thanks! This site has been great in teaching me a lot.
:D
 

a70eliminator

Captain
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
3,688
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I've never given any special attention to tires and wheels other than keeping them clean. My boat overwinters sitting on the trailer and all I've ever done is back the trailer up with a patio block under each tire to keep them sinking into the soft ground during the spring thaw.
There are guys who will put the wheels and tires in plastic bags bring them into their homes and sleep with them, but I'll only dream of indoor heated storage.
 

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Some say that you should support the trailer by the frame thereby taking weight off of the tires and suspension. It certainly can't hurt. However, I at one time had 7 trailers on my property (4 single axle and 3 tandems), and I still have 4 (2 single axle and 2 tandems) and every one of them sits on their tires all year long. I have never had a problem doing this. With the number of trailers I have I don't have the inclination or the required number of stands to jack them all up off of the ground. I also want to be able to move them quickly if needed and don't want to have to jack them up, remove stands, lower to ground, just so I can move a trailer for maybe a few minutes. Just my 2 cents.
 

rbh

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
7,939
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I think alot of the issues are from leaving them on grass or dirt, the moisture "overtime" does certanly seems to rot tires and rust out rims,
so when we park the boat for the winter in the shed, the tires are fully inflated and are parked on wood or concrete blocks, not sunk into the dirt floor.
rob
 

gene8084

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
187
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I park indoors, in New England and not heated, but do take the pressure off the tires and spings by restting the frame on jack stands. I have a floor jack readily accessible and it only takes a few minutes so why not.

The tires just barely touch the floor, so in an emergency I wouldn't hesitate to hitch and go without worrying about the stands.​
 

Gary H NC

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
8,972
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I feel about the same as the other comments. All of my trailers are parked on concrete pads or couple pieces of 2x10 wood for the winter.
Never had a problem.
I have heard fabric softener dryer sheets keep mice away but have never tried it.
 

rndn

Commander
Joined
May 20, 2007
Messages
2,323
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I have always taken the weight off the tires by supporting the frame with jack stands. For 1 boat and trailer it only takes a few minutes and certainly can't hurt.
 

Lion hunter

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
1,529
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Probably doesn't matter if the boat is inside but if stored outdoors I'd leave pressure on the wheels (on top of wooden blocks is a great idea). There is UV
protectant in the rubber which requires the weight of the trailer to "force" it out of the rubber to the surface.
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Indoor heated storage.
Trailer on blocks to keep weight off one area of tires for a long period of time.
Small containers of mothballs and downy sheets scattered around the interior.
Steel gauze over the plug hole.

Outdoor Freezing Cold Storage.
Trailer on blocks.
Wheels stored inside somewhere in a warmer than freezing place.
Small containers of mothballs and downy sheets scattered around the interior.
Steel gauze over the plug hole.
Outboard or inboard properly winterised
Outfit completely covered with cover or tarp or both.

Just my opinion though.
 

foodfisher

Captain
Joined
Feb 18, 2009
Messages
3,756
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Frozen flatspots can't be good for tire longivity. Don't have to worry about that here in socal
 

Navy Jr.

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Sep 14, 2007
Messages
738
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I pay to have our rig stored during the winter. It is enclosed, but not heated. Since the storage place owner has to move rigs around sometimes, customers do not jack up their rigs. So far, so good. No tire or suspension issues.

And, yes, Bounce fabric softener sheets scattered throughout the various compartments works for us to keep the critters away. Since our boat is stored indoors, I just leave the drain plug in. -Ken
 

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

We have used dryer sheets every year when we close the cottage. Works great. One year I didn't put any in the back storage room and I had droppings everywhere.
 

H20Rat

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
Messages
5,199
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Outdoor Freezing Cold Storage.
Trailer on blocks.
Wheels stored inside somewhere in a warmer than freezing place.
Small containers of mothballs and downy sheets scattered around the interior.


just curious why for that one? tires really don't care if they freeze or not.

personally, all my trailers are ALWAY stored with the tires on, although I usually put some wood blocks under the tires to keep it from sinking in during the spring thaw. Sunrot/weather rot is fairly rare in modern tires, I haven't replaced a tire in 10 years that wasn't due to road damage or mileage issues.
 

Lion hunter

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
1,529
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Although I have never had it happen over winter, sun rot is pretty common in the southwest espescially if the trailer does not get used. I have read that the standard is if you tow your trailer at least 6 times per year enough of the UV protectant is forced out to prevent any rot problems. NOt a problem for most people. They also claim that regardless of wear you should replace tires every 5 years. Barring any damage I usually get 6-7 years before I break down and buy new ones.
 

Wellcrafty

Cadet
Joined
Jul 20, 2009
Messages
6
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Thanks to everyone who replied! Great advise... and I'll be buying some dryer sheets for the winter.

:)
 

lihartke

Cadet
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
20
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

I have stored my boat and my pop up in my backyard on the grass several years now in Buffalo ny and every year I am forced to buy new tires. DO NOT store tires on the grass/ground no matter what. Last year we put the boat on cement lanscape square pads and the tires were great in the spring and we took the pop up tires off completely and brought them inside. This year I think we will put them both on cement pads and cover the wheels to keep the sun off.
 

WIMUSKY

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
19,789
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

lihartke, this thread is 4 years old and considered "dead". Please don't reply to threads that are over 90 days old as was stated in the red box at the bottom of the page before you replied...... You may want to familiarize yourself with the rules.....
http://forums.iboats.com/forum-rules-guidelines/forum-rules-397820.html

Welcome to the forum....
WIMUSKY
 

batman99

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
393
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

All my trailers (boat, utility, TT) are parked on short 2x12 boards and the trailer's rear corners have axle stands under them. For my heavy weight TT, it has many axle stands under it - so its frame isn't twisted. And, the trailer tongue jack is down. With this configuration, the rear jacks "support" 80% or so of the trailer's weight. Thus, taking the weight off the rubber tires (so they don't get a flat spot) and their leaf springs have a winter rest as well. My trailer sit outside for winter (often covered in 3-4 feet of snow) and never had UV or tire flat spot problems. Over kill? Maybe. But it works for my stuff….
 

WIMUSKY

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 26, 2009
Messages
19,789
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

Batman99 - Did you read my post prior to yours? Let this thread die..............
 

limitout

Banned
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
543
Re: Leave trailer tires on the floor during winter storage?

There is UV
protectant in the rubber which requires the weight of the trailer to "force" it out of the rubber to the surface.

I don't believe this is true, I would like to see something from the manufacturer that says this is true
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top